Pornography discussion at local high school

2016-09-08

Porn consumption rates are between 50% and 99% among men and 30% and 85% among women -

Published by American Psychological Association

September 8, 2016

ARLINGTON, Va. - Because the topic of pornography has been gaining national attention, Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington will hold a discussion about the effects of pornography on teenagers. On Friday, September 9, 2016, a nationally recognized speaker Matt Fradd, author and founder of The Porn Effect, will present "Porn: 7 Myths Exposed" and present the reality behind pornography to the entire student body. On Thursday, September 8, 2016, at 7 p.m., the discussion will be open to the public, and parents of teens at Bishop O'Connell, and teens and parents from area schools are expected to attend as well.

"People don't know what to do. They fall into it, and do not know how to get out of it. It's a spiritual cancer on the world right now. Young people are struggling with it as well," says Father Gregory Thompson, Chaplain at Bishop O'Connell High School.

According to a recent article published by the American Psychological Association, pornography consumption rates are between 50% and 99% among men, and 30% and 85% among women. Last week, on August 31, 2016, The Wall Street Journal featured an op-ed titled Take the Pledge: No More Indulging Porn, written by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and actress and former Playboy model, Pamela Sue Anderson. And also in late August, American activist and kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart talked to an anti-pornography organization, Fight the New Drug, about how pornography played a huge role in her abduction.

Two years ago, Bishop Paul S. Loverde reissued his 2006 pastoral letter, Bought with a Price, about the nature of the current threat of pornography. Upon release of the letter, Bishop Loverde said, "In my fifty years as a priest, I have seen the evil of pornography spread like a plague throughout our culture. As part of my responsibility to lead all the people in the Diocese of Arlington to the vision of God, I find it necessary now to address the tremendous moral, social, and spiritual dangers of pornography." Matt Fradd contributed the foreword to the 2014 edition of Bought with a Price.

"So many students have smart phones," says Thompson about teenagers. He adds, "It's something we need to get in front of."